I have removed the smelly paper from the inside of an old trunk. What is the best way to finish the inside of the trunk now? Paint, wall paper, fabric?
By Edith Jones from Ten Mile, TN
By Patricia
Give the trunk a light wipe-down with ammonia, that will kill most molds and any dust mites living in it, as well as remove the musty odor.
Use a soft cloth and just enough ammonia to get the cloth slightly damp, it's kind of harsh.
If you aren't using wallpaper, you can oil the trunk well, mold and bugs can't stand dollar store baby oil, a very cheap cleanser that works on almost everything. Oiling the inside won't help you at all if you go to apply paper, it just won't stick.
Use ammonia if you're going to line it, no matter what with, and oil if you aren't. Furniture oil doesn't bother mold and dust mites too much, probably since so much of it is made with nut oils, but baby oil kills them.
By Cornelia
By Eileen M.
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How do I recover the inside of an old trunk?
By Lee from Mobile, AL
Wall paper. You can use any kind. that is what it had originally I am sure. They used to make them that way.
First of all, are you sure you want to refinish? Is this an antique, or has it already been "fixed up" for appearances sake? If you do want to refinish the inside, the wallpaper idea is as good as any, just be sure that the "glue" you use will not attract "critters" that love to chew on such things. I mention that because we also live on the gulf coast, and palmetto bugs, mice, you name it, like some glue substances.
